The Pride of the Forgotten
by Tupac Shakur the Second
Summary: When the Kyuubi was sealed into Narumi, the village held her a hero, a savior. To prevent her from losing control, they trained her and shunned Naruto...they never thought he'd seek refuge amongst their enemies...
1. The Beginning

Family was sometimes overrated, to be honest. That was Naruto's original opinion though, whenever people asked him what it was like growing up an orphan.

Ok, so maybe his parents weren't _literally _dead...but, as far as he was concerned, they were buried six feet under..._figuratively_. He considered them dead, as far as the defining term of a _parent _and _supporting family _in his head, went.

In other words, they didn't quite meet the standards he had set for any parent to a child...A, supporting and good-intentioned...his family never bothered to say "_good job!"_ or even a "_it could be better, kid"_...hell, he would have settled with a "_it's a peice of crud! Stop sucking at your assignments!"_...actually, scratch that last one...that's just even worse. Anyway...oh, right...B, they had to spend time with their children...oh sure, they spent _plenty _of hours cuddling up to his younger sister, Narumi...but noooooo, they didn't have enough time for him, after all, _Father _had his duties as a Hokage, and the few hours he had off, had to be 100% Narumi's...and where was _Mother?_ Buying Narumi present, makeup, clothes, and even ninja stuff like kunai and shuriken for the academy! And what did he get? His dad's hand-me-downs! Sure, the white jacket with a blue strip going down the arms was awesome, nd so were the pure white slacks...but really? He couldn't get a new pair, at least?

At any rate, most people would label their family as 'picture-perfect'...or the 'prime example of a Konoha family'...they didn't know anything. They didn't know what happened behind closed door, they didn't bother looking behind the smiles and photographs. How could they? They always wanted to see, what they wanted to see, and hear only what they wished to hear.

**Oi! Quit your pathetic rambling and get to work, gaki! We don't have all day to get this done! **barked a feral voice within his head.

Ah, good ol' Kyuubi...or Kurama, as he called himself.

Who knew bijuu had names?

_What! I'm trying as hard as I can! Learning my own damn jutsu isn't easy, you know!_

**Quit your whining, and get to work! I want you to have at least excel in two Fūton jutsu by the end of the month!**

_It'd be easier if you would just let me use more then four Kage Bunshin at a time!_

**And let you get killed! If you die, then I die! And that's not something on my to-do list!**

_Sometimes I wish I had the other side of you..._

**Well, you don't, now do you? You get stuck with the more handsome, snarky, cynical, and demanding Kyuubi, huh?**

_Just go take a month long nap, you stupid fox..._

**You know what! I will! And when you come crawling to me, that you need help, you will get to bend over and kiss my orange furry ass!**

_Fine!...wait...no! I was just kidding! I need help on my Fūton jutsu!_

...no response.

Naruto cursed his luck, as he snapped back to reality, where he was trying to focus his chakra, so he could hold a leaf on his forehead.

Normall, most kids would find this easy, but just like his luck...he had a vast reserve of chakra, unlike Miss Perfect Narumi Namikaze, who had just the perfect reserve amount, both to last just long enough in battle, while keeping excellent control.

"Come on...just six more second...five...four...three...two...one!...yes! Finally! I got it to stick for a whole minute!" He exclaimed happily, pumping his fist into the air, as he jumped up and down.

"Well, you seem rather excited, Naruto-kun" smiled a dark haired man, as he walked out of the shadows, form behind some trees. Naruto grinned sheepishly as he held out a leaf for the man to see.

"Look, Itachi-san! I held the leaf on my head for a whole minute! My chakra control is improving!" he laughed. Itachi nodded, a small feeling of pride swelling within his chest.

He loved Naruto like a younger brother. True, not as much as Sasuke at some points, but he truly wished Naruto and Sasuke were a single person...if Sasuke could just have Naruto's personality and sense of humor...maybe then Sasuke could be the perfect shinobi...but no, his father had to instill that signature Uchiha pride...

"Hey, Itachi-san...what are you going to teach me today?" asked the ten-year old Naruto, as he tugged on Itachi's Anbu armor. The Uchiha heir looked down and smiled.

"I'm going to teach you an ultra-secret technique I made just for you, Naruto-kun" he smiled, kneeling down to match Naruto's eye level. The ten-year old blonde giggled in glee, his more childish side popping out as Itahci mentioned the secret jutsu.

"Ooh! Is it a cool one? Do I get to become super strong and join the Anbu!" he asked energetically. Itachi sighed with a small smile, glad to see Naruto happy. If only Sasuke could smile like he used to, when he refered to him as Itachi-onii-san...or just Onii-san.

"No, not yet Naruto, you need to get even stronger and smarter for that" smiled Itachi. He reached behind his back, and pulled out a balloon, before blowing it, just enough to make it the size of a baseball.

"See this balloon, Naruto?...I want you to hold one in each of your hands, and focus your chakra into it...let it mix with the air..." explained Itachi, receiving a confused look from the young child.

"So...kinda like when you had me learn that Fūton bullet jutsu thing?..." asked Naruto, as Itachi nodded.

"Yes, almost like that...except, this time...I want you to trap the wind inside, and push it tighter and tighter, then use a small blast of chakra to push it outwards, away from your hands" he answered. Naruto nodded, slowly focusing on pushing chakra into the balloon...it felt weird though, as the air inside was already occupying the space, and unlike the air he breathed, he couldn't pushit outwards...

"Hang on, Itachi-san...I...I got it...almost...a little more..."

Just before Naruto could actually try to compress the wind with his chakra, the ballon exploded, a cool breeze blowing his hair upwards, much to Itachi's soft laughter.

"Naruto-kun, this isn't a jutsu you can learn in one try...try to calm down, and have you practice with your clones...ooh! Remember, don't overdo your training!" reminded Itachi, as he walked away, ready to receive his mission from Minato.

He failed to notice, however, Naruto's lonely look as he soon vanished.

...

Kushina sighed as she helped Narumi carry her shopping bags, smiling gently as the young girl beamed at her. They considered it almost a holy time, where they could spend time and bond. She always tok pride in the fact, that her and Narumi had a stronger Mother-Daughter bond then any other family in all of Konoha.

If only Minato could spend time with Naruo-kun...the boy was always...isolated?...distanced? It wasn't that she didn't love him, that was a lie, she loved both her children. But Narumi took a special place above Naruto, due to her housing the Kyuubi. It was a miracle that it hadn't tried to tempt her to break the seal...truthfully, it was relieving and shocking the bijuu hadn't spoken to Narumi at all.

Perhaps Minato's seal worked even better then he assumed?

"Hey Kaa-san! Look Ayame-chan and her Tou-san are opening up the new Ramen stand!" exclaimed Narumi, as she pointed at the famous ramen-makersn who were cutting a ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of their restaurant.

"Huh...they finally opened? C'mon, Narumi-chan! Let's go get ramen!" smiled Kushina, as Narumi jumped in excitement. She loved ramen!

As Kushina entered the brand new building, she took a deep breath, amazed as she looked around to find the decoration of the shop...amazing.

Ichiraku had apparently decided to use a Hokage-based theme, sporting pictures and famous items that were tied to each Hokage.

"Hey, Kushina-sama! Narumi-chan!" greeted Ayame, happily waving her hand. Kushina smiled and waved back, before Ayame looked around.

"Huh? Is Naruto-kun not here today again?" she asked, wondering where the boy was. He never came with his family, even when the three of them were togethern he never joined them. He always come on his own.

"No...it's just me and Narumi-chan...we went shopping for clothes today, and we figured he wouldn't like spending all his day at women's stores" replied Kushina, slightly frowning at how little time she spent with her own son. Hopefully Minato had taken him out for some Father-Son time. The boy needed to bond with his family more.

"Well that's a shame...we made a new style of ramen, and we figured he'd like to try it out..." added Ayame, also slightly disappointed the boy wasn't here.

"Oh, it's alright, he can come try it tomorrow, right?" asked Kushinan but Ayame shook her head.

"Wish he could, but this is our last amount...we won't be able to make more of the new flavor until next month, plus we'll be closed until next week" she informed, causing Kushina to frown.

"Kaa-san! There's only a bit left..." pointed Narumi, as both Ayame and Kushina took notice.

"Huh...well, we can all share then" smiled Kushina, as she placed three order. "Give me two meduim bowl of ramenn and one large" she asked. Ayame nodded, a wider smile on her face now, knowing Naruto would at least get a taste.

Kushina was in a slightly better mood now. She had placed two medium order, for Narumi and Minato, and a single large, to split between her and Naruto.

_This will make him smile, _she thought proudly, as she walked back home.

...

Minato was having a slow and headache-inducing day. First, he found out he didn't have the day off. Second, it cut in his time with Narumi's training. Third of all, he now had to plan Narumi's birthday, as it fell in just two days. It would also signal the start of her entry into the ninja academy, the beginning of her shinobi career. It would most certainly be a defining milestone in his life, her life, and their family's history.

She had shown plenty of promise, especially in ninjutsu and genjutsu, a fact he and Kushina were also highly proud of. Neither of them had ever shown anything special within that area of practice, so with Narumi's talent, she was broadening their family's reputation. People were now even beginning to label them as the Namikaze clan, even though there wasn't a single special jutsu or kekkei genkei to their name, aside from seemingly endless talent and future elite shinobi.

"Hokage-sama...there is a visitor here to see you...it is the Sandaime" buzzed his secretary, as he listened in to her words.

"Send him in!" replied Minato, almost immediately, as he pressed the reply button.

"No need to tell her, Minato-san" chuckled Hiruzen, as he wallked in, quietly closing the door behind him. Minato bowed respectfully, showing his reverence of the legendary man.

"Sarutobi-sama, it's a pleasure to have you visit me" smiled Minato, as he took a seat in his chair. Hiruzan nodded, before looking out the window, onto the crowded street of Konoha.

"It's beautiful, no?...I remember as a child, this village was not even a third the size of what it is now..." he sighed, happily enjoying the view and memories. He quickly snapped back to reality, however. There were important news to announce, as Konoha's prime abassador to foreign nations.

"What is the matter?...is something wrong?" asked Minato, slightly tensed. Hiruzen shook his head, smiling at the blonde Hokage.

"No, no...just came to visit you, and also announce that Konoha is being chosen to host the Chūnin Exams next year" he replied, shocking Minato.

"H-Here?" he asked, double-taking at the sudden news. Hiruzan nodded again, as he went back to looking out the window.

"Yes, and the Daimyo have decided a new manner to show talent and comradery amongst the villages..." added the elderly ex-Hokage. Minato leaned in, curious at the new development.

"What?...what's the new idea?" he asked. Hiruzen took in a deep breath.

"...aside from a single pair, all the villages' genin will be paired up with a genin from another village" he answered, causing Minato to shoot up from his chair.

"It's a plot to kidnap Narumi!" he roared, before Hiruzen held a hand up to calm him.

"As I saidn aside from one pair...this means each village will most likely pair up their most important or elite genin, with the second most powerful genin, both in an attempt to show off and to protect their prime shinobi prospects" he said, relieving Minato of his tension.

"Well...I guess that just leaves the problem of having to fix the preperations for the exams..." he groaned, knowing it would only bring more and more paperwork.

Hiruzen smiled, somewhat amazed that Minato hadn't figured out the key to finishing paperwork quickly.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the blonde Yondaime...he had, however, forgotten one important thing.

Naruto's birthday.

...

If there was one thing that Naruto was most easily irritated with, it was usually the lack of progress a person could make, despite how much hard work they put into something. And that was the case in this situation...he couldn't make crap's worth of progress.

No mmatter how much focus and intensity he put into channeling the chakra into the balloon, it always stopped as soon as he was about to start compressing the air inside..._compressing_?...he didn't even know that word, yet he still used it correctly?

**I'm teaching you a proper vocabulary...imbecile...**

Well, at least he and Kurama were on speaking terms again. The fox was literally the closest being he knew to a father-figure...which was pretty sad, when you thought about it...and ironic.

**Tell me, gaki...what do you know of the Uzumaki? **asked the fox, out of no where.

Naruto frowned a little, knowing only that it was the last name of himself and his mother, Kushina.

_Uzumaki?...well...it's my last name...it's my mother's last name...and that's it...why?_

Kurama couldn't help but silently laugh, as he realized he could have taken advantage of the boy so much sooner.

**Did you know you belonged to a clan? A powerful one, too.**

_Wh-what? _Naruto didn't believe the Kyuubi, after all, there was no way his moth would have kept that hidden, right?

**Oh, of course they wouldn't have kept it hidden, after all, they love you SO MUCh like your precious little sister, right?**

_Sh-shut up...they do love me...I mean, if they didn't, why would they have kept me as their son? They could have left me as an orphan..._

**And? You're not good at blending in, brat...look at you, spiky sunshine blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes...who else has those damned features? You stick out like a sore thumb.**

_No! I know what your trying to do! Everyone feared you because of this! You're using me to weaken the seal!_

**Stubborn, pig-headed gaki...fine, if that's how you want it, then so be it, but let me at least tell you just how powerful your clan once was...**

_I...I don't know...how do I know it's not a trick?_

**What is the purposed of lying about your damn family name? What use could I possibly have of it?...ignorant pest...**

Naruto let out a long sigh, as he crossed his legs, ready to hear just what the Uzumaki clan was, and why his mother hadn't let him or his sister know about it.

**Or perhaps your sister does know, and your parents told her not to tell you...after all, they believe she holds all of my Yin chakra, and even soul...which we know YOU hold...otherwise we wouldn't have been able to talk.**

_Just get to talking, Kyuubi..._

**Fine...so the Uzumaki clan, is a cousin, even sister clan to the...**

As the fox began to tell Naruto his clan's history, little did the blonde know that his heritage was being twisted to the bijuu's own plans.

If the Uchiha could fall prey to such insolant pride...why couldn't the Uzumaki, too?

_**Next Chapter: The Pride of a Prince!**_


	2. Murder Murder, and an Escape

**Hey guys! Chapter Two of my new fanfic, Pride of the Forgotten!**

**Sorry if it's a pretty short chapter, I'm just not used to writing large ones, but hopefully with time they'll get longer and longer. I'm aiming for 10k word chapter at least by Chapter 10.**

**Anyway, read and enjoy!**

**Remember to review! Apparently people judge stories by numbers of reviews, so I hope more and more people read my stories!**

**...**

Naruto covered his face as he listened to the Kyuubi finish the story of his family and clan. He had wished it wasn't true, and that maybe it was all a lie to get him to weaken the seal, but...everything he heard just...seemed to make sense...and it sounded so right...

That he came from a master fuinjutsu clan, one who was so powerful, that it threatened even the weaker of the Five Great Villages...but it wasn't so powerful that it could hold off two simultaneous attacks from Iwa and Kiri...

**So? What now, gaki? Are you going to just sit there and act like a weakling? Do you stay here, and continue being a pathetic little brat, one who is ignored, even by his own family? Or are you going to actually do something about this, and make a difference? **asked the Kyuubi, as it stared at Naruto form the inside, with a blank look. Naruto didn't now what to reply, and merely kept quiet. The Kyuubi just shook its head, before turning away.

**You're a horrible excuse for a failure...**

"Shut up!" yelled Naruto, although he also yelled it aloud, causing a nearby red-haired girl to stare at him.

_'Huh...well, well...looks like this visit to Konoha wasn't a total waste...the Yondaime Hokage's son is having trouble in paradise...hmm...I'm sure Ei-sama will like to hear this news' _she thought to herself, before turning around and sprinting away, leaving behind an oblivious, yet furious Naruto.

"Shut up! Just shut your mouth! I don't care! I don't care anymore! I don't care if Narumi's stronger and more popular! Just leave me in peace!" he shouted, grabbing his hair as he growled in frustration and anger.

**Why should I? To let you have your peace of mind with being weak! I will not be the Bijuu to a weak human!**

"I SAID SHUT UP! I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI! I AM THE LAST OF MY CLAN, AND I WILL NOT BE ORDERED BY A BODY-LESS FOX!" roared Naruto, as he unleashed a massive wave of chakra, almost uprooting a few trees and blasting away a few small boulders, before he calmed down.

He took a deep breath, before looking around and mentally berating himself. What he had just done, would no doubt, create a panic or draw attention...

He had to get moving NOW. Nobody would leave him alone if they found out that he had just done this. They would even accuse him of having the Kyuubi's soul, and brand him a monster. He wouldn't put that past these people.

He had to leave the village quickly, before anybody realized he was gone.

But he needed a plan...and only one guy was smart enough, but somehow loyal enough, to help him.

...

Kushina sighed in exhaustion as she threw herself over her bed, loving the softness of the sheets and pillows. She had spent the entire day shopping with Narumi, and even buying her supplies for her birthday party. Twelve...her baby girl was turning twelve, and she would soon be taking her first steps as a genin.

"Hmm...I wonder what Minato got Naruto for his birthday, also...I hope he likes the vest I bought him...urgh...I need to spend more time with my son, it's pretty sad that Mikoto has had him over to visit Sasuke, more then he's spent time with Narumi and us..." she whispered, closing her eyes slowly. She was really tired, and the one thing she needed the most besides her family, right now, was sleep...and lots of it.

With a final breath, she quickly dozed off, quietly falling into a dark dream, which would soon change everything in her, her family, and the history of Konoha.

_The rain had been falling for what seemed like weeks, most of the surrounding rivers and lands had already flooded. Two figures were standing near a small riverbanks, the fallen and damaged head statues of the Shodaime Hokage were lodged into the dirt. Various parts of the once-mighty statue of both Hashirama and Madara now laid scattered throughout the area. In the very middle of the land, were three figures, a lean spiky blonde haired boy, and a red-haired teenage girl. In front of them, stood an orange-masked man, his black coak, which was adorned with red clouds, was torn and withered, the sleeves were even burnt along its edges. His shirt had a large round hole in his abdominal area, while a large gash tore through his back._

_"Urggh...this wasn't supposed to happen..." he groaned, grabbing his side, as he fell on knee, exhausted from the massive usage of space-time jutsu._

_As the two figures began to close in on him, they came to a stop, as the red haired girl took a glance at the blonde._

_"Na...Na...Naruto...we...we can't...keep...this u-up..." she gasped, not able to form a complete sentence. The blonde nodded, thankful the cool rain shower was keeping his body from overheating. He felt like throwing up, due to the strain he had but on his body during the earlier fight. Judging from what he knew about his own body, he didn't have more then five percent of his chakra left..._

_"This..th-this is...unbelievable!...w-we are...the epitome of shinobi!...how can one mere man do this!...he keeps bending the laws of...time and space, as if they were meaningless!" he growled, trying to catch his breath, as he lifted his hand into the air._

_"...wh...what are you...doing...?" asked the girl, as she watched small blue dots slowly float towards his body. Naruto smirked, as he felt his chakra reserves slowly rise again._

_Six percent._

_"Narumi! Hold that asshole for at least five minutes! I'll have my final attack ready by then!" he shouted, receiving a nod from Narumi, who quickly sprinted towards the masked figure. As she burst into full speed, she kicked up a large water wave behind her, covering Naruto, who let out a smirk. She had just given him the perfect cover for an extra jutsu plan._

_Narumi quickly sped past rock and water, managing to even lose the masked man's sight a few time, but he managed, however, to jump away before she could truly reach him, while forming his own hand signs. Narumi quickly withdrew her left hand backward, forming a swirl of blue chakra within her palm._

_"Rasengan!"_

_The man, however, didn't flinch or even blink for a single moment._

_"Jikukan! Busshitsu no Rekka!" he yelled, before aiming his palms outwards, as Narumi's Rasengan neared him._

_Suddenly, a small black dot appeared before her, as the blue chakra sphere began to dissipate, vanishing quickly, before she felt a violent pull on her body._

_His jutsu was swallowing her too._

_"Shit!"_

_Before she could think of a logical plan, she aimed her free arm downwards, shooting a powerful blast of chakra at the ground, propelling her upwards._

_"Chakra no Taiho!" she yelled, as she sky-rocketed into the air. The man scowled behind his mask, before remembering there was still Naruto to deal with. Only problem was that the jutsu he used had drained him of more chakra then he thought...but...that didn't make sense...he had used far more difficult jutsu, with even more ease...what was going on?_

_"Damn it...I need to think of a way to finish off at least one of these brats..." he whispered to himself. He began to feel his feet lose energy, before he realized to look below him, underwater._

_"You fucking brat!" he roared, leaping backwards, kicking at the Naruto clone, who continued to hold on, as it absorbed all the chakra it could. "Let go!" He shouted one more time, launching the clone into a cliff, where it disappeared in a small __**poof!**__._

_"Haha...looks like you got...outsmarted by a pair of kid..." grinned Naruto, as he held his bleeding arm. He had over-used the Uzumaki Rasen no Taiho, and he had barely enough chakra left for a single Kage Bunshin...which meant...he __**HAD **__to use that jutsu...otherwise, the world he and Nagato had wished for, would come to an end..._

_"Narumi! Get out of here!" shouted Naruto, placing his hands on the water. He closed his eyes tightly, focusing on drawing all the energy out of the water. "Shizen no Kyushu!"_

_Narumi had quickly begun to panic, as she realized she had overpowered her blast, prompting her to almost two miles in the air. She could just barely see Naruto and the man's forms far below her._

_**"Damn! Naruto's out in the open! This isn't good!" **__she thought to herself, as she slowly began to fall again, quickly picking up speed. It would still be a few minutes before she could reach Naruto, however._

_Naruto cursed as he noticed Narumi had over-shot her blast, and was now minutes away...it did, however, give him the perfect opportunity...he only had a minute window, but it could be enough, if everything went perfect. It was good that he had saved up enough chakra._

_"Tell me...you masked freak...does a low level clown like yourself ever feel desperation!" he asked, hoping he could buy just a few moments of time. He had to get the timing just enough, so that idiot couldn't escape, even with his teleportation jutsu._

_"You're too overconfident, Uzumaki! It will be your undoing!" yelled the masked man, as he began to vanish in a swirl. Naruto smirked drawing every last bit of chakra from the nearby water, before charging it all into his chest. He winced and grunted in pain, as the concentrated chakra began to just gradually implode his body, and the air around him._

_Four seconds...he hoped that bastard would take the bait. He suddenly noticed the swirl, that signaled the idiot's entrance._

_Three seconds...he had only one shot, and he would soon die, no matter the outcome._

_Two seconds...was this how it would end? The great Naruto Uzumaki, prince of the Uzumaki clan...dying in an explosion, he, himself created, to save the lives of his sister and the very world that wrong him?..._

_One second left...the man had realized his mistake too late, and it would be too long for him to re-open the time-space portal to move away from the blast. He was soon to be dead._

_Naruto smiled sadly as he felt the dense and massive chakra concentration pull the masked man towards, despite his yells of protest._

_This was his final moment...the end of everything for him...all to save his own family...a few months ago, he wouldn't have even hesitated in seeing them killed...now...he was dying for them..._

_"This...is for you...Nagato...san...and even you...Narumi...Chakra no Gisei Bakudan!" he shouted._

_With one final shove, he released all the chakra out, creating a massive explosion, blinding Narumi, as she continued to fall down to the ground. All she could tell was that a bright white light had already engulfed the Valley of the End._

_"Naruto! NOOOOOO!" she screamed, tears forming at her eyes, as she realized what he had done._

_He had just died to end the battle._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Kushina, as she shot up from the bed, causing her to fall down to the floor, in the mass confusion and panic. She could hear loud footsteps rushing up the stairs, before Mikoto and Minato came rushing in, both of them panting as if they had run a marathon.

"Kushina! Are you okay!" asked Minato frantically, lifting her up in his arms as he inspected her. As she gradually began to register everything, she nodded, slowly beginning to cry, as she buried her face in his chest.

How was she supposed to explain her dream?

"Kushina-chan...it's alright...c'mon...let's go make you some tea..." smiled Mikoto softly, before looking at Minato with a somber look. The blonde nodded, knowing that she was signaling him to keep it a secret.

He watched as Mikoto helped her long-time best friend down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

"Seems as if I came at an inconvenient time, Minato..." stated a deep voice, causing the young Hokage to turn around to get a good look at the familiar source.

"Jiraiya-sensei!" He exclaimed, smiling softly as he caught sight of the signature white spiky long hair. The older man grinned, before hopping through the window, making sure to softly close it behind him.

"Jiraiya-sensei...what bring you here?" asked Minato, confused as to why his former teacher had decided to make a random visit in the middle of the after noon.

The old man took a deep breath, wondering where he could start, having known this would most likely go bad, no matter what.

"Well...this isn't a friendly visit, Minato, so I'll be straight with you...I visited Mount Myoboku..." he started, trailing off as he said the name of the Toad Summons's home. Minato, however, just stood before him, waiting for him to continue. "And...I spoke to the Elder...and he told me...he told US, that...well...he told us a prophecy...and at first it was great, it said that a child, born of great shinobi, would rise to protect this world, from it's destroyer...he said, that the child would be born a female, and carry a great burden within her..." he added, causing Minato to smile, as he clasped his hands together.

"Well, that's great, isn't it? Narumi fits the entire description, and she's going to be more of a great shinobi then her mother and father!" he exclaimed happily. Jiraiya closed his eyes, giving Minato a somber look, before continuing.

"That was the start, Minato...the ending...the ending...you may not like to hear, but...as her father, you will want to hear it, and later tell Kushina..." he stated, causing Minato to grow a serious look.

"What is the second part?" asked Minato, clenching his fists.

"The prophecy said...it says, that...a male will be born of those same parents...he will become a tyrant...somebody who will attempt to crush all before him, and...he will have to fight Narumi to the death...if he wins, then he will assume a new world order, dominating everyone before him...I assume that if Narumi is the Chosen One, then Naruto is..."

"...destined to destroy us all..." whispered Minato, finishing the sentence for Jiraiya, who nodded quietly. He had practically put Minato in the hardest position imaginable to anyone...he was now forced to choose to either save the world...or save his son...

Could he allow thousands to die, at the hands of his son?...or could he stand knowing his son was incarcerated for a crime he had not yet done?...

"So...Naruto is destined for that?.." asked Minato, not wanting to believe what Jiraiya had said.

The elder Toad Sennin nodded, before leaning against the wall, as he stared out from the Namikaze household, and onto the streets of Konoha below.

"How's Naruto been doing?...it's been almost a year or two since I last saw him...and I do regret shooing him away to train Narumi...I should've included him in the training..." he stated, as the moonlight shined off his face, giving him a more mystical look. Minato let out a sigh, something that was becoming awfully common.

"Not well...me and Kushina haven't been able to make time for him...I know that it's wrong as a father, but as Hokage...there's little choice left...I have to train Narumi to control the Kyuubi's chakra...I'm only that much happier that the damned fox hasn't tried to speak to her" he replied. Jiraiya nodded, before looking down to see a red-haired girl running past the Namikaze house. He chuckled lightly.

"Heh...everyone's in a rush...Minato...I want to take Naruto on a training trip" he stated suddenly, glancing quickly at the blonde.

"A trip?..."

"Yeah, Naruto hadn't been trained properly, and even if he's passed the Academy test, he has little to no actual combat jutsu or experience...with me, I can at least protect him while we train" replied Jiraiya.

"...alright...but don't tell Kushina until tomorrow morning, I don't want her to stress out more"

Jiraiya nodded once again, before turning around and opening the window, placing a foot on the sill. He gave one last look at Minato before saying his last line, instantly jumping down and away, heading towards a familiar Sandaime's house.

"Don't forget, Minato...we have a prophecy to focus on"

...

"Tell me, just what news do you have, Karui, that could possibly justify interrupting my meeting with the former Sandaime Hokage?" asked Ei, the Raikage of Kumogakure, famous as the fastest man, behind the Yellow Flash.

"S-sir...I found the Yondaime's son...and he...well, he..."

Ei patiently waited, now intrigued by the young red-haired girl had begun to say.

"Well? He what, Karui? What did he do?" he asked. Karui took a deep and long sigh, before letting it all out.

"He was speaking to himself, almost as if arguing to another person...he was ranting about how he could not care less if he was inferior to his sister, or to what anybody said...it almost seemed as if he was on the verge of-"

"-running away from her..." finished Ei, cutting of Karui's statement. Suddenly, his visit to Konoha seemed to brighten up ten-fold.

If he could convince the famous Naruto Uzumaki, would honestly held more respect in Kumo, then his sister, it would bolster his village more so then he would Konoha, in the future. Kumogakure was honestly an under-rated village...they could give Konoha a run for their money in open combat, even if they eventually would lose, and that same reason was the reason Naruto Uzumaki held respect there, despite nobody knowing him personally.

During his last visit, a year ago, he had caught sight of the boy training, on his own, even performing a Kage Bunshin clone, and practicing his tree-climbing ability. Now, normally, he could have given less of a Kiri rat's ass, about what some genin was doing, but...when Itachi Uchiha had stated that Naruto was almost entirely self-taught...well, he gained a newfound amount of respect. He had seen how Minato and his wife had almost shunned the young blonde, in favor of his sister, who was the Kyuubi jinchuuriki...that almost sickened him. He had always been a believer of equality amongst dignity and family, so for him to see the most powerful Kage (and it pained him to admit that) ignoring his son...that was disgraceful. When he returned to Kumo, he had almost considered trading his shinobi roster with Konoha's, seeing how much talent many of their under-rated genin held...ALMOST, anyway.

"Sir?...what do you want me to do?" asked Karui, her yellow-golden eyes fixed on her leader in curiosity. Ei, however, decided on a rather risky, but ingenious plan.

"...convince him to escape..." he stated, shocking the girl.

"H-huh! Sir! Are you serious!" she asked worriedly. Ei simply nodded.

"Of course...you convince him to leave, shortly after I label you missing...you stay missing for a few months, then eventually return to Kumo...of course, I will be sending secret 'escorts' every now and then, to make sure you're safe...besides, consider it a long-term training mission" he replied. The girl sighed, knowing that once he had made up his mind, he wouldn't change it.

_Well...at least he is kind of cute..._

...

Kushina shuddered, as she felt a cold chill crawl down her spine, feeling like something terrible was soon to be happening...for some reason, she wanted to call it a mother's instinct.

"Kushi-chan...what happened?..." asked Mikoto, in a hushed and worried tone, as she kneeled in front of her red-haired best friend. Kushina was still softly crying from her nightmare.

"Kushina...what did you dream about?..." asked Minato, as he came slowly walking down the stairs. The young mother smiled sadly, before walking up to him, hugging him softly. Minato smiled as he wrapped his arms around securely.

"Minato...I...had a nightmare..." she whispered, trailing off towards the end. Minato pulled away just enough so he could get a good look at her face.

"A...nightmare?" he asked, getting a sinking feeling deep in his chest. He had a strong fear in the back of his mind, that was quickly growing more and more by the second.

"It...it was about...Narumi...and Naruto..." she whispered, loud enough to catch Mikoto's ear. Minato, on the other hand, felt his knees and legs almost give way and collapse right under him. He quickly began to tremble violently, before falling down fainting, causing Mikoto and Kushina to both panic.

"Fugaku!" yelled Mikoto, almost glad to hear the loud and quick footsteps of her husband, as he came flying through the front door, a cigarette still in his mouth. He only had to take a quick look at the pale-faced blonde on the floor, and he was already on the ground, a small white package in his hand.

"Move!" he ordered, waving the small package under Minato's nose. Within a moment or two, the Hokage had flutter his eyes slowly open, before remembering what he had heard.

"Wake up, Minato" stated Fugaku, lightly slapping the blonde's cheeks.

"Ku-Kushina..." he groaned, rubbing his head, as the red head leaned in close to him.

"Wh-what is it?...Minato...what is it?" she asked, worried as hell.

"We...we need to talk...about some news..."

"N-news?..." stuttered Kushina, as she felt her horrible 'mother's instinct' returning at full force.

"Listen...Kushina...you're dream, what happened in your dream, you HAVE to tell me...Jiraiya came with a prophecy...what did you see in your dream?" he questioned desperately. Kushina's lips begin to tremble, before she spilled all of her nightmare out.

"Narumi and Naruto were at the Valley of the End, and it was raining badly, there was thunder and lightning, and they were all badly injured...Naruto's arm looked like it was suffering from chakra burns...and it was bleeding, he was bleeding...he had a large cut on his left cheek, but it was definitely healing and his shirt was torn and singed in some place and Narumi was standing next to him, but both of them were exhausted and they were...they were fighting...fighting..." As she began to trail off, Minato gently shook her, wanting every little detail of her dream. Mikoto and Fugaku were even leaning in, caught up in the scene and wanting to know just what could have the two laid-back and usually joyous couple in high tension.

"Who? Who were they fighting?" asked Minato, his facial and body expression now growing frantic.

Kushina couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it, but now that she thought on it...that man was the same man...the same one that nearly killed her...

"It...it was..._him_..._Madara_..." she whispered, causing Minato's eyes to glaze over as she realized what she meant.

Mikoto and Fugaku, on the other hand, were now completely baffled.

"Hold on just a damn second!...are you trying to tell me that _Madara Uchiha_, the co-founder of Konoha, of this village, was fighting your kids in your dream?" asked Fugaku, as he tried to wrap his mind around what Kushina had just said. Minato slowly straightened up, as he returned to his serious demeanor.

"...it's true...he was the one who released the Kyuubi all those years ago, and he was the reason that I was nearly too late to save Kushina..." he replied, causing Mikoto to lean in closer.

"Wait!...but he would be well over a century old! Even if he was alive, what could he do?" she asked. If Madara was truly alive, he would more then likely be holding a grudge against the Uchiha clan for having banished him.

"No...he must have found something, or maybe he's just an imposter, who has enxtensive amounts of knowledge of Madara...no matter what, he's still dangerous, and he was even able to force to actually use the Hiraishin no Jutsu...even then, I was maybe a millisecond away from him out speeding me..." added the young Hokage, causing Fugaku and Mikoto to both sweat drop.

"Mikoto! Fugaku! Sensei! Its an emergency!" shouted Kakashi, who had suddenly bursted through the front door.

Fugaku suddenly raised his arms in exasperation.

"Oh everything is an emergency isn't it! This better be a life or death situation, Kakashi!" he shouted, irritated at everything that had just happened.

"Everyone in the Uchiha compound is dead! Everyone!" he yelled, before he sfelt himself pushed aside, as Minato, Fugaku, and Mikoto all dashed through he door, knocking it off its hinges.

"Sasuke was at the compound!" screamed Mikoto, as Fugaku and Minato followed her.

Kushina slowly walked out of the house, before a dark haired woman appeared.

"...Kushina-san...please, let's help you go to the Sandaime's house...his wife should be able to help you..." she smiled, before Kakashi sighed. The woman looked at him, before glancing away, and helping the weakened Kushina walk.

"Kakashi...nobody expected this...and just because he was your subordinate, doesn't mean that you could have done anything...he wiped out the whole Uchiha clan...I'm sorry...but you have to stop being a...a...a bitch, about your so-called 'failures'..." she stated, before continuing to walk away, leaving a silent Kakashi to think to himself.

_Something bad is going to happen...and I have a shitty feeling, that THIS...is only the beginning..._

...

Karui squinted her eyes, as she crouched atop the Hokage Tower, trying her best to find even a patch of sunshine blonde hair...or at least those cute little sapphire-like eyes...

Urgh...did she just say sapphire?...stupid brat...it was probably just the low altitude of this damn village...it must be messing around with her pressure...

"What are you doing up here?" asked a quiet voice, causing the dark-skinned girl to jump in sudden fright.

"Aaaahh!" she shrieked, as she turned to see the same boy she had been sent to search for...how ironic. Naruto, however, lifted his hands to cover his ears.

"Arghh!...jeez...for a pretty girl, you sure are loud" he groaned, feeling a sharp pain in his head. Karui, however, managed to register his entire phrase, and quickly began to blush.

"I...I...urgh...h-hey!...you were, uhm...the kid who was yelling at himself...earlier, weren't you?" she asked nervously, a blush forming across her face. Naruto stared at her, before turning a deep crimson, embarrassed at how the Kyuubi had just made him look like an idiot to a cute girl.

It was a good thing his 'mother' Kushina had actually taken her sweet damn time to teach him something about girls, and how they worked and thought...somewhat.

"Er...y-yeah...sorry about that...I looked like a total moron, huh?...sorry, I forgot my manners haha...the name's Uzumaki, Naruto Uzumaki" he greeted, grinning sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, a signature trademark in his family. Karui giggled softly, before realizing what this little kid was doing to her...what the hell? He was at least a few years younger then him!

"Ha...hah...er, no! No!...uh, actually you're pretty a cool dude, Uzumaki...my name's Karui, no last name though" she replied. "Er...I couldn't help but overhear that whole you didn't care about anything stuff" she added, causing Naruto to look down dejectedly.

"Oh...right...yeah, that"

Karui shot him a curious look, before patting the ground next to her, offering him to sit down, to which the blonde accepted.

"So what's up?...village problems?" she asked, hoping to find a sensitive spot, where she could convince him to leave.

"Eh, kind of...more like sister problems, to be honest..." he replied quietly. Karui nodded, now growing honestly curious.

"What do you, 'sister' problems?"

"Well...I have a sister, Narumi...and everybody knows she has the Kyuubi jinchuuriki sealed inside her, so she gets all this special treatment from everyone, and they all see her as this 'amazing kid' who has so much potential, because she can control the Kyuubi's chakra easily and she knows all these jutsu that our dad taught her...me, I just get ignored and shunned down below the stupid rug..." he answered, a strong bitter tone to his voice. Karui smiled, seeing an opening already.

"Well...we have a jinchuuriki in our village too...the Hachibi, and he's my sensei...but he had to earn that respect, and he risked a lot for it...before he became the jinchuuriki, his cousin held the demon, until he lost control...and when he sealed it inside himself, many people saw him as a monster and outcast...and still, he kept smiling and laughing like nothing ever happened...he never had respect handed to him, he had to risk blood and life for it..." she scowled, somewhat irritated that her sensei, who she held the utmost respect for, had to strive and turn the other cheek to so much prejudice in order to gain the honor he now held...and this..._Narumi_, had it given to her in a silver platter, yet she caused her own brother to be thrown away like garbage?

"Well...I suppose he's more of a true shinobi, I guess...huh, he's a jinchuuriki, and despite Narumi's status...he sounds more like me, no?" asked Naruto, a small and sad smile on his face.

Karui just nodded, unable to speak or talk...for some reason, and maybe it was all in her own head and a trick of her senses, but...she could have sworn she had just seen Killer Bee in this blonde kid's smile...

"Yepp...you sure are, Naruto...hey! You should come to Kumo with me!" she exclaimed, forcing Naruto to widen his eyes as if shocked.

"Wh-what!" he stuttered loudly, almost losing his balance, despite sitting down. Karui smiled at him, honestly intrigued by the boy.

"Yeah! Come with me to Kumo! You'll get more respect there, and nobody will ignore you!" she beamed, almost hopeful he would say yes...okay, so MAYBE she personally hoped he would say yes...

"I...I...I mean this pretty sudden...besides, I got fami-..." As he was about to say, that he had family, Naruto honestly began to think about it...

His father was always too busy working as the Hokage, and training his sister, and even when he wasn't...he would be asleep or with his mom. And his mom was always either out shopping, spending time with Narumi, or at Mikoto-san's house Jiraiya barely visited once every few years, and he was honestly a pervert in many cases...everyone else was always too busy going goo-goo over the 'amazing' Narumi Namikaze...hell, who did he have here? Where was a legit reason to say no? And at least in Kumo, he could start fresh, even begin a new life, maybe change last names too!

"Alright, Karui-chan...when do we leave?" he asked, causing the dark-skinned girl to laugh happily.

Not only had she completed her first, sabotage-espionage mission, but she had also converted another village's promising shinobi, to Kumo's rosters. Pretty damn good in her opinion, for a first solo routine.

Little did she or Naruto know, that what she had just done would lead Kumo and Konoha into a revolution that nobody could have predicted.

**Warning: These are translations I got off of Google Translate, so obviously, chances are 70% of these are wrong.**

**Jutsu Notes:**

**(Chakra no Taiho) - Cannon of Chakra**

•**Blasts a large amount of chakra that can scorch an opponent, or in most cases with Narumi Namikaze, can also be used as a rocket-like propeller. She lacks proper control, however.**

**(Jikukan: Busshitsu no Rekka) - Time-Space: Matter Deterioration**

•**Creates a small portal, that swallows up anything the comes with contact of it, and can create a powerful gravitational pull, controlled by the user. **

**(Shizen no Kyushu) - Absorption of Nature**

•**Allows the user to absorb the chakra and living essence of organic matter, more specifically designed for plants and natural elemental compounds, such as water and soil.**

**(Chakra no Gisei Bakudan) - Sacrificial Bomb of Chakra**

•**Forces all of the user's remaining chakra into their chest, causing a gradual implosion, before creating a violent and massive explosion. Decimates even the tiniest particle up to 2 kilometer radius.**


	3. I'm back, fuckers!

**Yo, sorry I'm late to update, but you know, this old lady crossed the road in front of me, and I stopped to think just how independent the lady was, so I stood there for a few weeks thinking to myself.**

**Anyway, I decided, fuck the rules, and suck on my glow-in-the-dark Gibson EB-O 1961 Edition!. Yes, I have one of those…and it cost vey much…no, it's not actually glow in the dark.**

**Anyway, I'm not leaving so I guess you guys just gotta put up with my crappy story, oh well, what can ya do about it?**

"When I signed up for the Jonin exams and passed them, I assumed I had to do...well, you know...Jonin shit? Leaping from trees and launching exploding kunai, chopping off heads and having legendary epic battles with S-rank nuke-nin..." sighed a jet black-haired shinobi, whose hair resembled that of Naruto's, he was maybe twenty years old, however.

"Well, maybe you should have stayed a Chunin, huh, Seigi? Because apparently you're too good of a shinobi to do this work...YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED A CHUNIN!" screamed a dark haired woman, in her early twenties, as she fixated her ruby-red eyes on the one known as Seigi, who scowled in response. He knew that she was even more stressed out then he was, due to having to lift dead bodies, who had their eyes removed...it was a copper-smelling, bloody mess...that did NOT mean he had to make it easy on her

"Sorry, miss princess, but I'm not somebody who likes to stoop down to do damn morgue jobs, when I had to face a bunch of damn Anbu for a stupid promotion...jeez, I don't even know why Minato-san listened to that Danzou prick...making me work my ass off just to last just a full minute against a four-man squad of Anbu..." he growled, feeling his eye twitch at the thought of what pain he had to deal with during his one-minute death match...Kurenai and Kakashi looked at him, before both raising their eyebrows in confusion.

"What Anbu squad?" asked Kurenai.

"Yeah, Sensei told us all we had to do was participate in a combat course, and be one of the Final Eight competitors in the Jonin exams..." added Kakashi, causing Seigi's eyes to twitch as realization hit him head-on.

"WHAT! You're tellling me I had to do all that shit for nothing! And all the while, misses tart there! Gets the easy way out!" he shouted, causing Kurenai to lash out at him fro calling her a tart.

"If you two are done whining and arguing like an old-married couple, I could use a hand over here" waved Kakashi, as he groaned, trying to pull two Uchiha bodies towards a scroll.

_Oh K-Kami...what do they feed these people?_

"Wuss...can't even pick up a d-...a d-de-...d-dea...d-d-de-dead...zombie!" yelled Seigi, as he grabbed Kurenai by her shoulders, whirling her in front of him, to use her as a human shield. The newly-promoted Jonin rolled her eyes as she looked on to the 'zombie' corpse, which seemed to be attempting to get up...wait...it was...m-moving?

"AIIIIIEEEE!" she shrieked, jumping up and latching her arms around Seigi's neck. Kakashi lifted an eyebrow, before walking over and flipping the corpse around, widening his eyes to find that the 'corpse' was actually alive, and healthy...not really.

"She's injured! Seigi! Kurenai! Get a medic! She's alive!" ordered Kakashi, as he began performing the only medical jutsu he knew... which only involved slowing down the amount of blood loss. He could tell it was a female Uchiha, although she looked no older then maybe twelve. Kurenai and Seigi instantly snapped into what they called 'military mode' and sprinted in seperate directions, already knowing each other's roles. Kurenai was the fastest-moving out of the three of them, so she would go alert the medics, and since Seigi was just a bit slower, he would let the Hokage know of the recent update.

There could be other Uchiha survivors that they did not know about.

...

Naruto sighed, as he sat down in an empty bench, just a few dozen meters from the main gate that lead away from Konoha. Here it was, a chance to start a life where nobody underestimated him, where he could hold the jealousy of others, instead of him being the one who would be jealous...the opportunity to become a true shinobi, without the thoughts of his family holding him back, to actually hinder his progress...

"You look bored, Naruto-kun" stated a purple haired woman, as she came and sat down next to the blonde. She could read a look of...confusion?...on the boy, although she couldn't tell what he was confused about. He turned to look at the ground, not knowing what he could do about it.

"...hey, Anko-san...I have a question..." whispered the blonde, trying to think of a way he could get the woman's help without actually drawing attention...

"Yeah, what is it? I'll be glad to help" smiled the Tokubetsu jonin, hoping to get her mind off the current news she had just heard...

"Okay...so suppose I like this...girl...but she ignores me for Na-...I mean, another guy...and there's a second girl, and she likes me, and even her Rai-...I mean, her dad likes me...and I may like that girl...what should I do?" he asked, biting his tongue twice as he almost let Narumi's name and the Raikage's title slip. He could have totally blown it right there.

"Well...if this 'girl' ignores you for another guy, then she's honestly not worth it...but, if you like that other girl and she likes you, and if her family is even supportive of you...then the choice is pretty obvious, plus...who knows, maybe that first girl will come crawling back to you" she smiled, completely oblivious to the fact she had just sealed Naruto's decision and fate.

"Oh...thanks, Anko-san! I gotta go! See ya!" grinned Naruto, as he shot up and ran away towards his house. Anko, who was just then getting a bad feeling about what she had answered, frowned.

"...did I just fuck something upp badly?..." she asked herself, as she sat alone.

In all truth and honesty...she already knew the answer.

"...damn...well, now to go to the Hokage-sama..." she shrugged, as she dug her hands into her pockets, taking a casual stride. No need to rush, if the future was most likely going to hold severe headache, why make it come sooner?

...

Narumi sighed as she sat in her couch reading a Kunoichi Fashion magazine, licking her lips each time she found a cute jacket or a nice pair of pants that she liked. As fun as reading a magazine was, it wasn't enough to make up for the disappointment that came when Kurenai-san told her she had to come home due to some urgent matter. Suddenly, her hopes rose up as she heard the front door open and close, and a blonde spiky-haired boy walk in. Ah, entertainment.

"Hey, what's up, gaki?" she grinned, as she tossed the magazine aside. She remembered once hearing Jiraiya call Naruto a gaki, and she decided to simply stick with that name...usually...

"...Naruto?" she asked, noticing a calm and quiet aura, something she wasn't used to with him. Usually, he almost emitted almost an impassive and irritated feel...something her parents were seemingly oblivious to, yet she could easily see. She chalked it down to jealousy, and at that moment, decided to tease him about it, although after a few years, he stopped reacting and even replying, so she quit. As she perked up, she could hear the rustling of clothes.

_What is he doing?..._

Finallly letting her Uzumaki curiosity get the best of her, she stood up and tip-toed upstairs, quietly sneaking just beside the doorway to her brother's room. The door to his closet was slid open, and he was hastily packing and shoving things into a his bag and item scroll.

Two pairs of shirts, jackets, boxers, pants, and a pair of ninja boots went to his bag. A large pile of kunai, shuriken, unused exploding tags, ramen cups, a few gallons of water, and some matchstick boxes went to the scroll...was he going camping? Could she come too?

"...dang...come on..I gotta get going before mom and dad get home...she said...and leave before...send the hunter nin after us" he groaned, finally shoving the item scroll into his bag, which he then slung over his shoulders.

Just then, Narumi could have sworn she felt a mental slap across leave a giant red hand imprint of her face.

He was running away!

"Naruto! Stop!" she screamed, suddenly losing her normally-relaxed demeanor. As she slammed the door open, she widened her eyes as she watched him leap out of the window, using a chakra enhanced kick to launch himself at a high speed. She quickly tried to follow him, but she only managed to stay a few feet behind him.

"Naruto! Wait! Where are you going!" she yelled, hoping he would hear her and answer her question. For now, all she could see was his blonde hair tussling in the wind, and the loud rustling of their father's jacket...wait, why had he taken his jacket?

"Don't follow me, Narumi!" he yelled, not acknowledging her question, knowing that anything he said could risk leaking out his intention to join Kumo. Narumi, however, refused to give up on her questions. She may not have ever openly admitted it, maybe not even to herself, but she found Naruto as an anchor to the real world, somebody who no matter what she did, would never truly accept her. He was the one person who let her know that the world was not perfect, that not everybody would bow down and listen to her. He was the one stain on her picture perfect world that she cherished, just for who he was and for the fact that he kept her away from a life of so-called 'Namikaze-Uzumaki' glamour. He was the reason she continued training with her Father, to show him that she wouldn't be some diva that expected to get what she never earned.

"No! I'm not going to stop, Naruto! Don't run away from this! Don't run away from our family!" she screamed, gradually catching up to him, inch by inch. She was still at least four feet behind him, however. As she began to take in his image, she quickly began to see just how much he resembled her father...his face...his hair...even his eyes, the once-sapphire blue eyes he had, the eyes that had an innocent twinkle to them...they now resembled her father's...just slightly cold, yet calm.

"I said get back!" shouted Naruto, aiming a palm at Narumi, who suddenly felt a gust of wind push her backwards, into a pile of bushes. She groaned as she sat back up, dusting off some twigs and leaves...her shirt was also cut and scratched...ruined.

"Damn it, and this was my favorite shirt..." she sighed, before remembering who she was after. Quickly leaping up, she landed on a small railing on the side of a house roof, before jumping again. She had to catch up to Naruto quick, and any shinobi who even wanted to become a genin, knew that even a single second was like an eternity to them...let alone the ten seconds she spent sitting up from the wind burst.

"Gotcha!" yelled the familiar voice of Naruto, as he flew from the corner of a building, dropping kicking Narumi to the hard packed dirt of the streets below. He would leave her a goodbye present, one that neither she, nor their family would ever forget.

...

He hated the rain, to be honest. It always made him go quiet and somber...and he HATED that! It always threw him off his groove, and it made him lose the rhythm and flow he relied on to write his lyrics.

"Bee-sensei...you're horrible at rhyming and rapping" sighed a dark haired boy next to him, causing him to look down.

"Omoi...shut ya trap boy, my swag ain't a thing which you can toy" he replied, as the boy named Omoi, raised an eyebrow.

"...that didn't even make sense...'which you can toy'?...you're going to force an image in which the world will stereotype 'rappers' as people who have neither respect, nor sufficient knowledge and maturity to properly employ common language in their own speech" answered Omoi, as Bee sweatdropped at his words. He couldn't have himself force a label of idiot-based IQ on all the rappers!"

"Fine!...but how can I fix these lyrics of mine?" he asked. Omoi held up two fingers, before looking at him lazily.

"One...don't rhyme constantly as it can, and will, send your creativity to waste...second of all, when you rhyme, make it come from within your mind and 'spirit' as those lyrics will strike a chord unlike any other you currently make, and thus will resonate within the ears and senses of others, like the sound of calm and serene ocean waves across a warm, sunny beach, while also rumbling with the roar of thunder" answered Omoi, who caused Bee to almost freeze.

"Yo...that was poetic, dude...it was cool..." he whispered. Omoi just shrugged.

"Eh...I wonder what they have for lunch in Konoha..."

Little did Omoi know, but Bee had already begun digging in himself for a rap that would truly define, not only his own soul, but that of another...but what? What could he write? His life? His mind, the things he went through?

_...Was it right or wrong...to live and die as a shinobi, to grow up spilling blood all along...letting my innocence pass by, that I let my childhood die...and now I'm paranoid for every time I breathe...or was I addicted to the dark side...letting war and death ruin my life, where I could've grown up nice, but in the end I switched roles, all I ever did was dig a six foot hole...can I be forgiven for my sins, my damn scowl seems to scare little kids...and who was I to bid, my entire soul for a single fight...now my heart's darker then the pitch of night...do I give up or keep my head up high, pray to Kami that it'll end alright..._

Without even realizing it himself, Killer Bee had just begun to write a song that would echo a growing ripple in the sand of time, and the sea of fate, creating a tsunami that not even the Rikkudu Sennin would believe.

...

They had been travelling for almost the entire day now, and Naruto was honestly surprised that his family hadn't sent an Anbu squad after them...but then again, he wasn't too shocked, either. They had never paid attention, nor had they even acknowledged him...so why start now? One less mouth to feed.

"You seem upset, kid" stated Karui, as she looked at him, as she set up a campfire. It had already grown to nighttime, and there was no way they could reach Kumogakure safely in the darkness. They would have to rest up, and maybe risk a few hours.

"Nothing...family issues...just some personal stuff..." he replied, looking at the ground. Karui nodded, remembering when she had heard Naruto's rant on how his family ignored him.

"So tell me, why do you want their attention? They've never given it to you before, so I figure they're not worth it...its like having a crush on a girl who never even talks to you, and believing she deserves more then one chance..." she asked. Naruto looked down at the ground, as he leapt past tree branch after tree branch.

"...its not their attention in specific I want...just to have somebody tell I did a good job...someone who will look at me and say that I'm Naruto Uzumaki, not 'the Yondaime Hokage's son' or 'Narumi's little brother'...I want to be my own person, and be drowning in my family's own damned shadow...even my mom casted her shadow over without gaining fame...she was the most beautiful woman in Konoha, and my dad was of course the 'sexiest' bachelor before he married, and now everybody expected me and Narumi to come looking like gods and godesses...they raised the bar so high for me, that even if I had the Sandaime's skills, they would only tell me 'do better'...and I hate it..."

Karui couldn't help but only stare at him, astounded at what he suffered, without actually suffering any physical or emotional pain...it was all mental...how the hell had he not snapped by now? And how fucked up was it, that she herself, expected a kid, not even a full genin yet, to have snapped already?...no kills, no torture, and already he was getting fed up with his own village. He needed a way to vent his emotions, otherwise he woulld eventually succumb to them all...and she hoped her suggestion wouldn't come back to haunt her.

"...rap about it, rap your emotions..." she sighed. Naruto turned to face her, utterly perplexed at her idea.

"...rap?..."

"Yeah, rap...it's a style of music writing...your form verses, by rhyming words, remember?...didn't I tell you before?" replied Karui, as she began to feel as if she had once before mentioned it. Naruto shrugged.

"I have no idea...so like...I make a line, rhyme it with the next, then keep doing it like that?"

Karui nodded, relieved he understood the main concept of it.

"Just rememebr to vary it a bit, so instead of making it all one main rhythm, your line rhyme with a variety of words" she added. Naruto took a deep breath, before looking forward again.

"Enough with all whining, pissing and the stupid bitching, I'm sick of the words being spit, the asses not lookin at me as a kid, branding me with high expectations, without looking at the limitations, or the family that put a road block, on my path and practically left me dropped...and that's all I got..." he said, finishing his quick verse. Karui couldn't see her own face, but she could swear it felt like her eyes were popping out and her jaw hitting each branch she leapt off of.

Here was a kid, who just a minute ago didn't know what rap was, yet, just now raps better then what Bee-san had ever done in all his life?...its wasn't right...not at all...

"So, where is this guy we're meeting up?" asked Naruto, as he felt his legs gradually growing numb and tired. Karui sighed, know why he was asking, she could read it in the amount of chakra he was focusing on his legs. She couldn't blame him, they were sprinting at full speed for almost a few hours now...at least, it felt like a few hours...how long had it actually been?

"Naruto! Don't you have a watch!" she yelled, noticing him slowly falling behind. She quickly lessened the chakra in her legs, so she could keep a steady pace to match the blonde's. He had stamina, almost as much as she did, but he was still only a newly made genin, nowhere near her three years of experience and physical progression. As Naruto pulled out a small pocket watch, he widened his eyes, shocked at the time.

"We've been running for almost six hours!" he exclaimed, suddenly smiling. Karui, on the other hand, stared at him.

"What?...what's so special about that?" she asked. Naruto grinned at her, before point his finger in an apparent south-western direction.

"We're closer to River country then anywhere else! We took the main gate, which originally lead north-east...but when me and you circled around, we came in reverse! At most, we're only another ten or so hours away from being out Konoha border limits!" he grinned. Karui simply stared back, before suddenly asking a question aloud.

"...HOW the fuck could you possibly know that?" she asked, causing Naruto to shrug.

"I don't know...I once tried to impress my dad with knowledge of the layout of all the countries, both major and minor...it was a failed mission from the start..." he sighed. Karui mentally cursed the blonde's family.

"So...we get to River Country, then what? That's the total opposite direction of where we're heading, Naruto...we were supposed to head northeast, not southwest" she added, before being surprised by a soft smile from the boy.

"That's easy, but also hard...we circle around Fire Country" he replied, causing Karui to deadpan at his answer.

"CIRCLE AROUND! Do you have any idea how many countries we'll have to cross and travel through! River country, then head westward to Wind country, possiblly stay at Sunagakure, then head northward, entering Rain Country, where we most likely risk being killed by Amegakure, then we have to go we west again, crossing Bird and Bear country, then go north, entering Earth Country, again risking not only being well within Iwagakure's jurisdiction, but also endangering OUR lives due to you being famous as Namikaze Minato's son! And if we do travel safely, even then, its not over, since we have to then cross Takigakure and Waterfall country, followed by Fang and then, the newly sprouted village Otogakure in Sound Country! Finally, we'll get to Claw country, with a short time in the former Whirpool country, and THEN will we be safe in Kumo's safety, by which it will have been well over a year!...actually...possibly even more, if anything goes wrong!" she screamed, at the top of her lungs. Covering his ears, Naruto smirked painfully, as he gave her his own opinion.

"Didn't think you'd be scared to travel with a cute kid like me...oh well, I'll let the other girls have me" he shrugged, as he turned back to his own direction and continued leaping away. Karui quickly scoffed at him, before following pursuit, quickly gaining speed.

"Wait up! Nobody ditches Karui, the future Queen and Godaime of Kumo!" she yelled, before hearing a loud laugh.

"Ha!"

Deep down in their soft, red, beating, highly vulnerable, and fragile hearts, they had a bad feeling about their decision.

After all, they could've just crossed from Rain into Grass Country and cut a third of the trip off the schedule.

...

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NARUTO IS GONE!" roared Kushina, as she was held back and restrained by Tsunade, who was desperately trying her hardest to stop the young mother from maiming Seigi, Kakashi, and Kurenai, who were now slowly moving behind Minato, who was moving behind Jiraiya, who was...well...pissing on the side wall.

"What?" he asked, as he looked back onto the staring crowd, Kushina still bearing a pissed off and annoyed look on her face.

"...you just urinated on the wall..." growled Tsunade, as her eye began to twitch. Jiraiya, however, just shrugged and zipped up his pants.

"So?...the restroom is just too far away, and you can't expect an elderly man to make it that far"

"...your not elderly, bastard"

"SHUT UP!" shrieked Kushina, as she immediately began trying to claw at Kurenai, who 'eeped!' and jumped back in response. Seigi, on the other hand, lost control and jumped out the window, sending shard of glass flying everywhere, before Tsunade let Kushina go. The redhead didn't even hesitate a single second, before following Seigi out of the window, and onto the streets.

"So, where would Naruto be headed?" asked Jiraiya as he crossed his arms. Seigi's cries in pain could be heard, followed by Kushina's sounds of snarling rage...and the tearing of clothes and skin...followed by a random arm flying in the distance...quite a beautiful site, had it been Orochimaru watching.

"We don't know, that's the problem...usually kids leave these melodramatic good-bye notes, stating the reasons and motives behind their departure..." replied Tsunade. Jiraiya and Minato quickly looked back at her, before realizing something.

"When did you get here?" they asked in unison.

Suddenly there was a loud _thump! _and they all turned to see Seigi sprawled against the glass window behind Tsunade, before slowly sliding down, onto the street below, leaving a trail of drool and blood against the window. Not even a second later, Kushina came flying by, causing Seigi's screams of pain to commence once again. Tsunade ignored it, before turning back to the four other people in the room.

"About an hour ago, right after I was informed about the...Uchiha...matter...also when I found Narumi knocked out on the street...she said Naruto snuck from a side alley, while she was chasing him down, so he got away" she answered, as an awkward silence took the room. Minato soon cleared his throat, breaking said silence.

"So...how's Fugaku's family doing?..." he asked, causing Jiraiya to lowered his head, a dark cloud forming over them.

"...Minato...everybody is fine, except Itachi...he was seen beheading some of the Uchiha...he's being pursued by the entire Anbu force as we speak" whispered Jiraiya, causing everyone to grow silent once again.

"Nah! Just messing around!" he laughed, as he scratched his head, before flying threw the wall, as Tsunade fist clashed with his face.

"IDIOT!" she screamed, before turning to face Minato seriously.

"But really...there were rumors of a man with a orange mask that covered his face..." she added. Minato quickly scowled, before turning away, leaving behind Kakashi and Kurenai at the hands of Tsunade.

"I'll be back...until then, send these two home...and find all of Seigi's body parts..." he sighed, thankful of the man's experimental kekkei genkai.

_As long as Kushina didn't rip his head off his torso, he can re-attach any body part and heal any scars..._

"So the kid ran away, huh?" asked a soft and calm voice, as Minato closed the door behind him. He didn't even bother pausing as a hooded figure faded into appearence beside him, as he continued walking.

"Yes, Naruto-kun ran away...damn, and this isn't going to do anything good for my fatherhood confidence" he scowled. The figure smirked, as she followed the Hokage.

"You are a pretty crappy father figure, you know" she added, causing Minato to roll his eyes.

"So what do you want, last I heard, the infamous Mei Terumi was banished from Kirigakure for trying to start a rebellion against it's Mizukage" replied Minato, before suddenly stopping to face the her now. She had let her hood down to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman, no older looking then her mid-Twenties, despite her actually being in her early thirties.

"Easy, for the same deal I offer any potential client...you pay me, and my organization will do any service you require...except prostitution, you can use your own hands for that...but, in your case..."

"Find me Naruto Uzumaki, before anybody else, bring him here safely, unharmed, healthy, and willingly" he replied, not even bothering to hesitate a single word. Mei suddenly grew a serious look, before taking a deep breath.

"Fifteen thousand ryu, per week...and a twenty percent bonus ryu bonus for the completion" she stated, grinning back. Minato nodded, before tossing her a heavy small bag.

"Wh-urghh!...shit...you carry this much money around?" she gasped, as he lifted it up. Minato shrugged.

"Kushina and I's bank accounts are full, so we have to keep cash" he replied, making Mei scoff.

"Lucky bastard"

"Not really, otherwise Kushina would've shared me with you"

"In your dreams, you just happened to pick the wrong redhead, blondie"

"That's what Kushina said before our first date" winked Minato, causing Mei to blush, before he vanished in a yellow flash.

"...pervert..." sighed Mei, as she began to leave.

...

"I hate oatmeal" whined a red headed boy, as he crossed his arms with a pout, causing his older sister to twitch, as a vein began popping out in her forehead from stress.

"Just...eat it, little bro...do it for sweet older sis..." she begged, gritting her teeth together.

"No!" he cried, slamming his fists on the table as he began to throw a tantrum. The girl quickly threw the bowl into the air, as she began strangling the boy, causing his tongue to start waving in the air, almost as if she was shaking a ragdoll.

"Damn it, you cheeky bastard!" she cried, before pausing, still choking the boy.

_Why am I doing this?..._

"Aggh!...can't!...breathe!" gasped the boy, before the girl quickly punched him, knocking him out instantly.

"Just shut up...stupid kid..." she growled, standing up and walking away to the living room, where another boy was sleeping...allegedly...

"What's the matter with you?" he asked, paying note to her heavy footsteps. The girl groaned, before throwing herself onto the couch opposite of his.

"I hate babysitting him!...why can't I ever meet a normal guy?...somebody blonde, like me...always in a positive mood...understands my crappy daddy issues...that would always be there for me, not matter what the situation?" she sighed, before hearing a snicker.

"Heh...sure, and I'm just suddenly going to find this magical person roaming around in the desert in about a month, seeking a new path in life...ooh! ooh! And he'll have this friend, who's slowly beginning to understand him, helping him grow into a mature and formidablle shinobi legend!" laughed the boy across from her, before feeling a sharp pain shoot through his face as the girl swung a lamp at him. The girl sighed, before falling asleep.

_If...only Gaara and Kankuro weren't...wasn't such a...spoiled...bitches...I'd leave...this town with them...and not leave them...here...sleeeeepppyyyy..._

...

As Ei walked down the dirt road that lead away from the village of Konoha, he suddenly stopped.

"...Karui..." he whispered, before shrugging.

_Oh, well, it's her mission, not mine...but she better get to Kumo before the end of next year..._


End file.
